The present invention relates to pivotal razors of the type in which a blade cartridge is carried by a support by means of cooperating or interlocking arcuate flanges. Usually the blade cartridge is connected to the support through an intermediate member termed a "socket" in this specification.
The socket serves as a connector between the support and the blade cartridge in that one side of the socket is formed with a track operable to make a sliding connection with a channel formed on the cartridge in well-known fashion. The opposite side of the socket is formed with an arcuate flange which makes a pivotal and interlocking connection with a mating flange formed on the support.
Pertinent and representative embodiments of this basic connecting structure and method are disclosed and described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,935,639 issued Feb. 3, 1976, to Terry et al., and in U.S. Pat. No. 3,938,247 issued Feb. 17, 1976, to Carbonell et al., both assigned on the face of each patent to The Gillette Company of Boston, Mass.
The '639 patent is most pertinent to the present invention.
This patent shows (see FIG. 1) a socket 16 supporting a blade cartridge 12 by the classical interlocking channel and track arrangement on one side and making a pivotal connection to a support 14 on the opposite side by means of interlocking arcuate flanges indicated by the reference numeral 40.
The '247 patent shows a manually operable lever for selecting the arc through which the socket pivots.
The present invention is an improvement over the disclosures of the above patents, and the novelty of the invention arises from the structure of the socket, socket support, and the socket track and the cooperation between the socket and the socket support.
Therefore it is a particular feature of the invention to provide an all-plastic socket fabricated from a minimum number of piece-parts consistent with ease and economy of manufacture, and facility of assembly on a mass production basis.
It is a further feature of the invention to provide novel structure for control of the pivotal and axial motion of the socket relative to its support.
A further feature of the invention is the provision of a novel spring arrangement to power "recovery" or return of the blade cartridge to its neutral or normal position.
A further feature of the invention is the provision of a track structure on the socket which includes means for latching the cartridge to the socket where the track latching means is cast integrally with the track to define with the track a unitary piece-part.
A further feature of the invention is the provision of a single, centrally located thrust bearing involving the socket and its support which functions dually to limit (1) axial motion and (2) pivotal arc or angular rotation from said neutral position.